Archive: Last Bill Status
Via A1231 - Signed by Governor

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Bill Amendments

S6842 - Details

S6842 - Summary

Relates to the misbranding of escolar or oilfish as tuna, albacore tuna or white tuna.

S6842 - Sponsor Memo

BILL NUMBER: S6842
TITLE OF BILL :
An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to
misbranding of certain fish species
PURPOSE :
To protect public health by prohibiting the sale of certain fish
species under names other than the accepted scientific or common
names.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :
Section 1 of the bill amends the agriculture and markets law by adding
a new section 201-i, which defines the fish species escolar, oil fish,
and white tuna, and prohibits the sale, offer for sale, distribution,
import or export of such species under any name, scientific or common,
other than those established pursuant to this section. Section 2
establishes a penalty for violating the new section 201-i of the
agriculture and markets law. Section 3 sets forth the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION :
Recent, independent investigations conducted by multiple sources have

revealed significant levels of fraud and species misidentification in
the commercial fish industry in the United States. In New York City
alone, one investigation revealed over 40 percent of the samples of
fish tested were mislabeled or misidentified. One of the most common
species of fish consistently found to be misidentified were those
advertised as "white tuna" or "albacore tuna". The species most
commonly substituted for white or albacore tuna is escolar, a species
of snake mackerel. Although escolar is a species of fish that is
commercially available in its own right, it has a significantly lower
market value than tuna. Additionally, consumption of escolar carries a
risk of digestive illness because escolar has purgative effects that
are not associated with eating tuna. The Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) advises against the sale or marketing of escolar in
intrastate/interstate commerce, and further requests that seafood
manufacturers or processors should inform potential buyers or sellers
of the possible purgative effect associated with the consumption of
this species of fish.
In the interest of New York State consumers to prevent fraud and
protect public health, this bill would prohibit the sale of the fish
species "White Tuna" "Albacore Tuna", "Escolar" or "Oilfish" under any
names, common or scientific, other than the names established pursuant
to this section.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :
2015-16: New Senate Bill / A.1231 - referred to Agriculture
2014: A.9620 - referred to Agriculture
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect 120 days after becoming law provided,
however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made
and completed by the commissioner of agriculture and markets on or
before such effective date.

S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
6842
I N S E N A T E
February 26, 2016
___________
Introduced by Sen. AVELLA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Agriculture
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to
misbranding of certain fish species
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new
section 201-i to read as follows:
S 201-I. MISBRANDING OF CERTAIN FISH SPECIES. 1. AS USED IN THIS
SECTION: (A) "ESCOLAR" SHALL MEAN ANY VARIETY OF FISH KNOWN AS ESCOLAR,
WALU, SNAKE MACKEREL, OR ANY OTHER COMMON NAME OF THE SCIENTIFIC SPECIES
NAME LEPIDOCYBIUM FLAVORBRUNNEUM.
(B) "OILFISH" SHALL MEAN ANY VARIETY OF FISH KNOWN AS OILFISH OR ANY
OTHER COMMON NAME OF THE SCIENTIFIC SPECIES NAME RUVETTUS PRETIOSUS.
(C) "WHITE TUNA" SHALL MEAN THE FISH SPECIES KNOWN AS ALBACORE TUNA,
LONG FIN TUNA, OR THE SCIENTIFIC SPECIES NAME THUNNUS ALALUNGA.
2. NO PERSON, RETAIL OR PUBLIC FOOD SERVICE ESTABLISHMENT AS DEFINED
IN SECTION SEVENTY-ONE-Y OF THIS CHAPTER, SHALL SELL, OFFER FOR SALE,
DISTRIBUTE, IMPORT, OR EXPORT THE SPECIES OF FISH COMMONLY KNOWN AS
ESCOLAR OR OILFISH UNDER THE NAME TUNA, ALBACORE TUNA, WHITE TUNA, OR
ANY OTHER SPECIES NAME, COMMON OR SCIENTIFIC, OTHER THAN THE RECOGNIZED
COMMON OR SCIENTIFIC SPECIES NAMES FOR SUCH SPECIES DEFINED IN SUBDIVI-
SION ONE OF THIS SECTION.
S 2. Section 39 of the agriculture and markets law, as amended by
section 1 of part Q of chapter 59 of the laws of 2009, is amended to
read as follows:
S 39. Penalties for violation of chapter or other laws. Every person
violating any of the provisions of this chapter, or of any other law the
enforcement of which is within the jurisdiction of the department shall,
except where other penalties are hereinafter prescribed, be subject to a
penalty in the sum of not more than six hundred dollars for the first
violation, nor more than one thousand two hundred dollars for the second
and each subsequent violation and provided further, however, that for a
violation of subdivision thirteen or fifteen of section two hundred of
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD06132-01-5
S. 6842 2
this chapter, the minimum penalty shall be five hundred dollars and the
maximum penalty shall be one thousand dollars and that for the second
and subsequent offenses such person may also be subject to an adminis-
trative order suspending the manufacture and/or sale of such confection-
ery for a period of time up to three months for each such violation; AND
PROVIDED FURTHER, HOWEVER, THAT FOR A VIOLATION OF SUBDIVISION TWO OF
SECTION TWO HUNDRED ONE-I OF THIS CHAPTER, THE MINIMUM PENALTY SHALL BE
ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS AND A MAXIMUM OF TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE FIRST
OFFENSE AND FOR THE SECOND AND SUBSEQUENT OFFENSES ANY PERSON, RETAIL,
OR FOOD SERVICE ESTABLISHMENT FOUND TO BE IN VIOLATION MAY BE SUBJECT TO
AN ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER SUSPENDING THE SALE, OFFER FOR SALE, DISTRIB-
UTION, IMPORT, OR EXPORT OF SUCH FISH SPECIES FOR A PERIOD OF TIME UP TO
THREE MONTHS FOR EACH VIOLATION. When such violation consists of the
manufacture or production of any prohibited article, each day during
which or any part of which such manufacture or production is carried on
or continued, shall be deemed a separate violation. When the violation
consists of the sale, or the offering or exposing for sale or exchange
of any prohibited article or substance, the sale of each one of several
packages shall constitute a separate violation, and each day on which
any such article or substance is offered or exposed for sale or exchange
shall constitute a separate violation. If the sale be of milk and it be
in cans, bottles or containers of any kind and if the milk in any one of
such containers be adulterated, it shall be deemed a violation whether
such vendor be selling all the milk in all of his containers to one
person or not. When the use of any such article or substance is prohib-
ited, each day during which or any part of which such article or
substance is so used or furnished for use, shall constitute a separate
violation, and the furnishing of the same for use to each person to whom
the same may be furnished shall constitute a separate violation. When
the storage of any article is prohibited beyond a certain period, each
day during which or any part of which any article is so stored beyond
the period provided for by this chapter, shall constitute a separate
violation. A right of action for the recovery of, or a liability for,
penalties incurred as provided in this chapter, or in any other law the
enforcement of which is within the jurisdiction of the department, may
be released, settled or compromised before the matter is referred to the
attorney general as provided in section forty-four of this article, and
thereafter may be released, settled or compromised by the attorney
general, either before or after an action is brought to recover such
penalties.
S 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
it shall have become a law, provided, however, that effective immediate-
ly, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation
necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are
authorized and directed to be made and completed by the commissioner of
agriculture and markets on or before such effective date.

S6842A - Details

S6842A - Summary

Relates to the misbranding of escolar or oilfish as tuna, albacore tuna or white tuna.

S6842A - Sponsor Memo

BILL NUMBER: S6842A
TITLE OF BILL : An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in
relation to misbranding of certain fish species
PURPOSE :
To protect public health by prohibiting the sale of certain fish
species under names other than the accepted scientific or common
names.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :
Section 1 of the bill amends the agriculture and markets law by adding
a new section 201-i, which defines the fish species escolar, oil fish,
and white tuna, and prohibits the sale, offer for sale, distribution,
import or export of such species under any name, scientific or common,
other than those established pursuant to this section.
Section 2 establishes a penalty for violating the new section 201-i of
the agriculture and markets law.
Section 3 sets forth the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION :

Recent, independent investigations conducted by multiple sources have
revealed significant levels of fraud and species misidentification in
the commercial fish industry in the United States. In New York City
alone, one investigation revealed over 40 percent of the samples of
fish tested were mislabeled or misidentified. One of the most common
species of fish consistently found to be misidentified were those
advertised as "white tuna" or "albacore tuna". The species most
commonly substituted for white or albacore tuna is escolar, a species
of snake mackerel. Although escolar is a species of fish that is
commercially available in its own right, it has a significantly lower
market value than tuna. Additionally, consumption of escolar carries a
risk of digestive illness because escolar has purgative effects that
are not associated with eating tuna. The Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) advises against the sale or marketing of escolar in
intrastate/interstate commerce, and further requests that seafood
manufacturers or processors should inform potential buyers or sellers
of the possible purgative effect associated with the consumption of
this species of fish.
In the interest of New York State consumers to prevent fraud and
protect public health, this bill would prohibit the sale of the fish
species "White Tuna" "Albacore Tuna", "Escolar" or "Oilfish" under any
names, common or scientific, other than the names established pursuant
to this section.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :
2015-16: New Senate Bill! A.1231-A - Amended and Recommitted to
Agriculture on 4/12/16
2014: A.9620 - referred to Agriculture
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect 120 days after becoming law provided,
however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made
and completed by the commissioner of agriculture and markets on or
before such effective date.

S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
6842--A
I N S E N A T E
February 26, 2016
___________
Introduced by Sen. AVELLA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Agriculture -- committee
discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
to said committee
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to
misbranding of certain fish species
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new
section 201-i to read as follows:
S 201-I. MISBRANDING OF CERTAIN FISH SPECIES. 1. AS USED IN THIS
SECTION: (A) "ESCOLAR" SHALL MEAN ANY VARIETY OF FISH KNOWN AS ESCOLAR,
WALU, SNAKE MACKEREL, OR ANY OTHER COMMON NAME OF THE SCIENTIFIC SPECIES
NAME LEPIDOCYBIUM FLAVORBRUNNEUM.
(B) "OILFISH" SHALL MEAN ANY VARIETY OF FISH KNOWN AS OILFISH OR ANY
OTHER COMMON NAME OF THE SCIENTIFIC SPECIES NAME RUVETTUS PRETIOSUS.
(C) "WHITE TUNA" SHALL MEAN THE FISH SPECIES KNOWN AS ALBACORE TUNA,
LONG FIN TUNA, OR THE SCIENTIFIC SPECIES NAME THUNNUS ALALUNGA.
2. NO PERSON, WHOLESALER, DISTRIBUTOR, RETAIL FOOD STORE OR FOOD
SERVICE ESTABLISHMENT SHALL SELL, OFFER FOR SALE, DISTRIBUTE, IMPORT, OR
EXPORT THE SPECIES OF FISH COMMONLY KNOWN AS ESCOLAR OR OILFISH UNDER
THE NAME TUNA, ALBACORE TUNA, WHITE TUNA, OR ANY OTHER SPECIES NAME,
COMMON OR SCIENTIFIC, OTHER THAN THE RECOGNIZED COMMON OR SCIENTIFIC
SPECIES NAMES FOR SUCH SPECIES DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS
SECTION.
S 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
it shall have become a law, provided, however, that effective immediate-
ly, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation
necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are
authorized and directed to be made and completed by the commissioner of
agriculture and markets on or before such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06132-03-6

S6842B (ACTIVE) - Details

S6842B (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to the misbranding of escolar or oilfish as tuna, albacore tuna or white tuna.

S6842B (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

BILL NUMBER: S6842B
TITLE OF BILL : An act to amend the agriculture and markets law, in
relation to misbranding of certain fish species
PURPOSE :
To protect public health by prohibiting the sale of certain fish
species under names other than the accepted scientific or common
names.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :
Section 1 of the bill amends the agriculture and markets law by adding
a new section 201-i, which defines the fish species escolar, oil fish,
and white tuna, and prohibits the willful sale, offer for sale,
distribution, import or export of such species under any name,
scientific or common, other than those established pursuant to this
section.
Section 2 establishes a penalty for violating the new section 201-i of
the agriculture and markets law. Section 3 sets forth the effective
date.
JUSTIFICATION :

Recent, independent investigations conducted by multiple sources have
revealed significant levels of fraud and species misidentification in
the commercial fish industry in the United States. In New York City
alone, one investigation revealed over 40 percent of the samples of
fish tested were mislabeled or misidentified. One of the most common
species of fish consistently found to be misidentified were those
advertised as "white tuna" or "albacore tuna". The species most
commonly substituted for white or albacore tuna is escolar, a species
of snake mackerel.
Although escolar is a species of fish that is commercially available
in its own right, it has a significantly lower market value than tuna.
Additionally, consumption of escolar carries a risk of digestive
illness because escolar has purgative effects that are not associated
with eating tuna. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises
against the sale or marketing of escolar in intrastate/interstate
commerce, and further requests that seafood manufacturers or
processors should inform potential buyers or sellers of the possible
purgative effect associated with the consumption of this species of
fish.
In the interest of New York State consumers to prevent fraud and
protect public health, this bill would prohibit the willful sale of
the fish species "White Tuna" "Albacore Tuna", "Escolar" or "Oilfish"
under any names, common or scientific, other than the names
established pursuant to this section.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :
2016: New Senate Bill! A.1231-B - Amend and Recommit to Codes on
5/20/16
2014: A.9620 - Referred to Agriculture
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect 120 days after becoming law provided,
however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made
and completed by the commissioner of agriculture and markets on or
before such effective date.

S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
6842--B
I N S E N A T E
February 26, 2016
___________
Introduced by Sen. AVELLA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Agriculture -- committee
discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted
to said committee -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the agriculture and markets law, in relation to
misbranding of certain fish species
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The agriculture and markets law is amended by adding a new
section 201-i to read as follows:
S 201-I. MISBRANDING OF CERTAIN FISH SPECIES. 1. AS USED IN THIS
SECTION: (A) "ESCOLAR" SHALL MEAN ANY VARIETY OF FISH KNOWN AS ESCOLAR,
WALU, SNAKE MACKEREL, OR ANY OTHER COMMON NAME OF THE SCIENTIFIC SPECIES
NAME LEPIDOCYBIUM FLAVORBRUNNEUM.
(B) "OILFISH" SHALL MEAN ANY VARIETY OF FISH KNOWN AS OILFISH OR ANY
OTHER COMMON NAME OF THE SCIENTIFIC SPECIES NAME RUVETTUS PRETIOSUS.
(C) "WHITE TUNA" SHALL MEAN THE FISH SPECIES KNOWN AS ALBACORE TUNA,
LONG FIN TUNA, OR THE SCIENTIFIC SPECIES NAME THUNNUS ALALUNGA.
2. NO PERSON, WHOLESALER, DISTRIBUTOR, RETAIL FOOD STORE OR FOOD
SERVICE ESTABLISHMENT SHALL WILLFULLY SELL, OFFER FOR SALE, DISTRIBUTE,
IMPORT, OR EXPORT THE SPECIES OF FISH COMMONLY KNOWN AS ESCOLAR OR OILF-
ISH UNDER THE NAME TUNA, ALBACORE TUNA, WHITE TUNA, OR ANY OTHER SPECIES
NAME, COMMON OR SCIENTIFIC, OTHER THAN THE RECOGNIZED COMMON OR SCIEN-
TIFIC SPECIES NAMES FOR SUCH SPECIES DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS
SECTION.
S 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after
it shall have become a law, provided, however, that effective immediate-
ly, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation
necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are
authorized and directed to be made and completed by the commissioner of
agriculture and markets on or before such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06132-06-6

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